Steampunk

Steampunk Chapter I

                                                                        

As I looked out from the balcony on Deck 3, I realised how much I enjoyed flying. I enjoyed being the pilot, being a gunner or even an engineer. The wind against your face and knowing that a nice warm supper was waiting for me when I got the barracks. That was enough to make me join the army. I had been in the army for ten years now. I started when I was 15 and I am now 25. It is all that time and fighting that has made me an officer. An officer and a captain of the royal Icrises army. In fact I'm just coming back to home after a five year campaign in North Trelinster. My spurious are calling it a strategic retreat but judging by the mood everyone's in, I seriously doubt it. The war has been raging for fifty years now. This is the way it stands: Icrises vs. Trelinster, Trelinster vs. Ballbar, and finally Everyone Hates Senatea. You see Icrises, Trelinster, and Ballbar are rebel factions, off cuts from Senatea. Now, Senatea is the main controlled faction that is not rebel and every single rebel faction despises but can't show as everyone knows that the army and areoballons of Royal Senatea would be able to crush them in one strike. And every factions too full of themselves to come together and wipe out Senatea. Oh and if I said that out loud, I would have properly been killed. So you're lucky you caught me saying that.

Two hours later we could see the docking area. "Rope cannons!" I shouted. Rope fired out of the sides of the airship. People on the ground rushed to grasp them slowly we went slowly downwards. "Cut balloon! Cut engine!" I shouted over the sound of the rushing air as the ground became closer and closer. The ship shuddered as it hit land. Wooden walk ways fell down from the deck and 200 men rushed on to home turf. The crew and I exited last, saying a few parting words to the landing crew. "Tie her up in section 5, please."

"Sure thing, Boss."

A coach pulled up. "Corneal Laurence wishes to see you, Sir." The coach driver said. Slowly, I stepped into the coach in five minutes we approached the manor on the gravel drive. It had been a hot day and the fountain made my mouth water. "Here we are sir. Sinborn manor." As I stepped out of the coach I looked up to the large three storey house. Its splendour surprised me. Or maybe that was just because I had just spent five years in North Trelinster. "Hello, Captain," said Laurence "Come in. We need a chat." So I followed him inside through the large corridor with 'famous' paintings on the wooden walls and then it to his office. It was a smallish room with a desk on one side and the door on the other. All around the room were scattered old pictures with mostly him featuring in them. "Have a seat" he said, kindly. So I did relaxing at the softness of them. He poured a drink and passed one to me. I passed it back saying "No thanks. I don't drink."

"Oh" he replied, obviously taken back. "Right. You're a good officer Sam. Really good. But you could be better."

"How," said I "I would like to be better." I said.

"I am going to promote you. Captain to Admiral. Officer to Corneal. I can' t say I was surprised. His manner said it all. "Thank you sir!" I said gratefully.

"This brings me to my next announcement Now you're a Corneal you a required to lead another campaign! So that is what your going to do! Your'll be leading a campaign into North Trelinster, again. We'll give a few weeks to see your family and friends. All your belongs on the airship now so there's no need the pack," Said Corneal Laurence, in a orderly way. "Now you're a smart boy, Laurence. You know the retreat out of Trelinster was a proper one. The simply had more men than us. Which is why this time were taking double the amount of men!"